Esibo Omaada

This research seeks to examine the re-emergence of traditional institutions in Uganda, focusing specifically on the emergence of the Iteso Cultural Union. This research is motivated by two observations. First, the Ugandan state and society have been conflicting. In the course of this conflict, both state and society have been trying to woo each other to adopt the other’s perspective. The paradox is that, in spite of any attempt to coerce or woo society to completely dissipate in the state, society is resilient. Second, due to society’s resilience and resistance to the colonial and post-colonial state, some states like Uganda have permitted society to form its own organizational structure that sustains it. The main question is, how is society’s attempt to sustain itself to be understood when in the first place the state permits the existence of society’s organizational structure, and in the second place the state has conflicted with society and as a result, society has sought to re-organize itself in such a manner that society’s subjects see this re-organized structure as an alternative to the state? Specifically, this research seeks to answer these questions: Why has the Iteso traditional institution re-emerged? How has this institution re-emerged? How is the re-emergence of this institution made thinkable? In what spaces has this institution emerged? How far back can we go to trace the re-emergence of this institution? The design of this research is a case study with, mainly, a qualitative approach. The research will employ ethnographic techniques of data collection. It will also collect data from archives. The main geographic location of the research will be Teso region in Uganda.

Thesis working title

An Examination of The Re-Emergence Of Traditional Institutions in Uganda: A Case of the Iteso Cultural Union